For the first time since 2019 when Worcester swept the board, County Relays Championships were held again at the Wolverhampton pool on Sunday 26th June
The event is a two tier competition…
There are male, female and mixed Medley & Freestyle Relays (all 4 x 50m) for ages 10/u, 11/12, 13/14, 15/16, Open and Masters (total ages 101+ and 140+)
First, medals are awarded for 1st, 2nd & 3rd in each relay event and second, there is an overall team competition with the Club scoring the most points based on how all their relay teams perform winning men’s, women’s, masters’ & overall trophies
Whilst the Club couldn’t manage another clean sweep of all four trophies as in 2019 – this time finishing 3rd overall behind Stourbridge and Redditch – Worcester did win the Men’s title/trophy and share the Women’s title/trophy with Redditch
There were many fine team performances with an impressive 20 relay squads winning medals
The stars of the show – their performances auguring very well for the future – were the 9/10 Boys teams who won Gold in both the Freestyle and Medley relays. James Hill, James Walter, Ellis McMullen and Freddie Preston smashed the 4×50 Free Relay with four fabulous fast swims, whilst in the Medley, James Ashfield stepped in for Ellis to make it a brace of victories with another awesome swim
In the 13/14 girls age group, Worcester also won both Relays though the swimmers had to be on their best form to narrowly beat a powerful Wyre Forest team. In the Freestyle, they led from the gun, Frankie Barry’s blistering opening leg setting up a lead that Lottie Richardson, Grace Ryder and Asha Mahanta built on. In the Medley Relay though – with Abigail Haldane stepping in for Lottie – the lead seesawed backwards and forwards but the Worcester quartet came out on top at the finish for a thoroughly deserved second Gold
Arguably, however, the finest performances were delivered by the Open Medley relay teams, notably the Girls who had a titanic battle with Redditch. Emma McKay, Emily Clacher, Bella Barry and Grace Earp each put in stunning individual splits to take team Gold in scintillating fashion. The boys were not to be outdone though. Louis Doyle, Harvey Lloyd, 14-year old Ben Gooch and Will Gearey stormed to victory by a massive 4 seconds, well clear of all their rivals
In the Masters, the standard exceptionally high, there was only one Gold this year with the men’s 101+ years Medley team of Alex Hughes, William Hadley, Chris Joiner and James Allen snatching victory from Redditch by a few hundredths of a second
There were many fine 2nd & 3rd place finishes too, congratulations and very well done to one and all
Silver medals went to
13/14 Boys 4×50 Free – Ben Gooch, Ollie Irwin, Josh Round & Dylan Lewis
Open Mixed 4×50 Free – Louis Doyle, Emily Clacher, Izzy Trow & William Gearey
Masters Ladies 101+ 4×50 Free – Becky Redfern, Jenny Gearey, Megan Jones & Jo Dursley
Masters Ladies 101+ 4×50 Medley – Issy Bowers, Becky Redfern, Rhianne Gale & Jo Dursley
Masters Men’s 101+ 4×50 Free – James Allen, Alex Hughes, Chris Joiner & William Hadley
Masters Mixed 101+ 4×50 Medley – Jenny Gearey, Alex Hughes, Chris Joiner & Megan Jones
Masters Mixed 140+ 4×50 Medley – Issy Bowers, Stuart Knott, Rhianne Gale & Malcolm Latta
Bronze medals went to
11/12 Boys 4×50 Medley – Robert Gearey, Toby Pugh, Lincoln Lewitzkyi & Lucas Pedley
11/12 Boys 4×50 Free – Robert Gearey, Eddie Richardson, Toby Pugh & Lucas Pedley
15/16 Girls 4x50m Free – Carmen West, Grace Earp, Amelie Forsyth-Ball & Jess Dobson
15/16 Girls 4×50 medley – Alice Davison, Amelie Forsyth-Ball, Jess Piper & Carmen West
Open Boys 4×50 Free – Matthew Redfern, Harvey Lloyd, Jack Sweeney & James Allen
Masters Mixed 101+ 4×50 Free – Issy Bowers, Stuart Knott, Rhianne Gale & James Allen
However, every single one of the 66 swimmer squad swam beautifully and contributed to the overall success of the team at the Championships so well done also to Ava Aspinall, Ava Copson, Jess Owen, Wren Goodison, Ffion Lea, Eva Anderson, Elodie Vincent, Mia Gooch, Hana Duncan, Pru Goodison, Evie Goodall, Sophie Earp, Julia Wolska-Bailey, Zara Ashfield, Xanthe Carrington-Abraham, Lydia Cooper, Jack O’Connor, Jack Taylor, Henry Hoare, William Thomas, Alexander Cutler Tucker, Oliver Clayton, George Vaughan, Eddie Phillips and Richard Drewett